Have lunch in one of the cafés lining the square, perhaps trying a Belgian specialty such as carbonnades à la flamandes (a Flemish beef stew simmered in beer). Don't forget to buy chocolates at one of the top chocolatiers on the square. Then cross over Rue de la Réence to see the Place du Petit Sablon before walking down the street to the Musée d'Art Moderne and the Musée d'Art Ancien to view collections ranging from the surrealism of Belgian artist René Magritte to the delicately wrought details of Pieter Bruegel the Elder's The Fall of Icarus. Pick out a restaurant on the fashionable Rue Antoine Dansaert for dinner. Finally, return to the Grand'Place to cap off the evening with a drink at one of the cafés in order to see the shimmer of the golden facades under the glow of lights.

On your second day, start at the Parc de Bruxelles, a formal urban park that originated as a game park. Note the austere Palais du Roi on the park's south side, now used only for state occasions. Cross the street to the elegant Place Royale and the adjoining square, La Place du Musée, graced with a Calder sculpture. Take time to visit the nearby Musée des Instruments de Musique, which houses one of Europe's finest collections of musical instruments. Hop a tram to Avenue Louise to Ixelles, one of Brussels' liveliest neighborhoods. Walk down Rue Paul-Emile Janson, stopping to look at No. 6, considered one of architect Victor Horta's finest art nouveau works. Check out the shops on Rue Bailli, an eclectic mixture of trendy boutiques, old-fashioned bakeries and antiques shops, before continuing on to Place du Chatelain for lunch.

After lunch, visit architect Horta's own house, now the Horta Museum, on Rue Américaine. If you crave more art and architecture, go to the Musée David-et-Alice-Van-Buuren, a 1930s art deco masterpiece that also features a fine collection of Old Masters paintings, including one of three versions of Bruegel's Fall of Icarus. If you're in the mood for lighter entertainment, head towards the Gare du Midi and visit the Gueuze Museum to see how Lambic beer is brewed the old-fashioned way. Enjoy a tasting at the museum, and maybe go on to a café to compare the taste to that of the commercially brewed versions. For dinner head to St. Catherine's Place for a feast of Belgian seafood specialties. Later, check out the many cafés and bars that crowd the narrow streets around the Bourse.

On day three, take the Metro to Schuman, walk past the cluster of modern buildings that house various functions of the European Union as you head up through Parc Cinquantenaire, which is easy to spot courtesy of the massive arch constructed in 1880 to celebrate Belgium's 50th anniversary as an independent state. Visit the Autoworld museum, housing a fantastic collection of vintage cars. Head up Avenue Tervuren to catch a tram to Tervuren and the Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, a legacy of Belgium's role as a colonist in the Congo, including objects and memorabilia from explorers. Relax in the surrounding park before heading back into town for another fine dinner.